It is with great pride and excitement that we share an update with you around our efforts to end the backlog of hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits in the United States.

ENDTHEBACKLOG.org, Joyful Heart's website devoted to shining a light on and ending this injustice, has been nominated for a Webby Award for Best Activism website. With over 12,000 nominations received from around the world, being recognized in the Webby Awards is one of the most prestigious honors a website can achieve. But more importantly, it is an incredible opportunity to raise even more awareness and activism to #ENDTHEBACKLOG and bring healing and justice to survivors of sexual assault.

We also invite you to explore the website. Tens of thousands of visitors have already joined us. We’ve helped generate media coverage about the backlog from coast to coast. Thousands of letters to legislators across the country have been sent through our site, and lawmakers are listening to our calls for reform. Since we relaunched the ENDTHEBACKLOG.org last fall, 9 states, an unprecedented number, have introduced reforms to address their backlogs. The federal government has proposed a $35 million program—the most significant federal support yet—to provide communities across the country with resources to create multi-disciplinary teams to investigate and prosecute cases and address the need for victim notification and re-engagement with the criminal justice system.

We thank you for your continued activism, and for your vote in support of our Webby nomination. Cast your vote today by clicking here.